Grateful Dead: May 1977 Dancin’ in the Streets Jams

This mix is a continuous, instrumental edit of the jams from all seven May 1977 performances of “Dancin’ in the Streets.”

Every time the band finishes the synchronized riff section of one jam, they slide right into the beginning of another night’s jam. All dancing, no singing.

The segues are seamless, but I’ve presented the mix as seven tracks, so you can compare the performances. Aside from the first track, which includes the opening of the song, each version starts at the same moment. The final version fades out. All performances have been officially released, except for 5/1 and 5/4.

67-minute mp3 mix zipped up here

  • Dancin’ Intro & Jam > (5/8/77)
  • Dancin’ Jam > (5/19/77)
  • Dancin’ Jam > (5/15/77)
  • Dancin’ Jam > (5/12/77)
  • Dancin’ Jam > (5/22/77)
  • Dancin’ Jam > (5/1/77)
  • Dancin’ Jam (5/4/77)

This mix is a companion to this May ’77 “Fire on the Mountain” jams collection.  


13 responses
John, love these two mixes! Listening to this one was like listening to a great DJ playing the funkiest funk records to get the club going. Such a cool idea, love that I can just live in the spaces of these jams for almost an hour. I think if you're looking for another one to do like this you should try the May '77 Sugarees. I think Sugaree has a few things in common with these Fires and Dancins. It was very long as this time, so won't just be a small guitar solo like earlier (e.g '72) Sugaree's when you cut up the vocals. However, like Fire and Dancin, the structure stays relatively similar from performance to performance, in a way that song like Truckin, or PiTB didn't at this time. It has a beginning, middle and end. Finally, Jerry also uses that same wonderful tone (I think from his octave divider) that is like taking a bath in honey or something. Sorry for my long windedness, but I would love to see this, if you find the idea interesting enough. Keep up the good work and hope you are staying safe!
Jordan, thanks for this comment. I am stoked by your enthusiasm; we are experiencing the music the same way. Sugaree is a great insight. I love its breaks in multiple eras, and I like the songs whose instrumental parts form an arc of their own.
Jordan, don't know if you're getting these replies to your note, but I made a Sugaree edit for you: https://www.dropbox.com/s/6zmliwt24j7t8xg/01%20...
John! Thanks so much, that was perfect. Love living completely in Sugareeland! It got me think how for some reason Sugaree jams have a circular quality to me, I’m unsure why. Maybe because Jerry plays around with chords instead of traditional soloing. But it almost feels like the melodic instrumentalists are 4 perfectly machined cylinders all rotating around each other. Thanks again! P.S. I saw your call for good FoTMs. I’d like to suggest 6-27-83. It only comes as an Aud but the third jam is as beutifully, intensely blissful as the Dead ever got.
Jordan, this is a great description. And I've put that Fire on the list I'm keeping. Cheers.
Love this! Thank you.
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